Local attorney sentenced

Bethesda attorney Jason Eric Fisher was sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to embezzling and misappropriating funds from his clients and his employer.

On Oct. 27, Fisher pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and misappropriating funds. He was sentenced by Judge Richard E. Jordan in Montgomery County Circuit on Dec. 16. Fisher also received two years of probation, which he will serve after his sentence.

According to court documents, Fisher wrote checks for expenses unrelated to work, received checks from clients that he deposited to his personal bank account rather than the firm’s, billed clients falsely for work he did not do and made charges to the firm’s credit card for his personal expenses. Fisher’s credit card purchases included a dog, a fence at his home, and lodging, meals and transportation for a vacation he took.

In total, Fisher took $56,151 from clients and the firm from May 2014 to December 2015.

“This is an appropriate sentence for this crime,” said Ramon Korionoff, a spokesperson for State’s Attorney John McCarthy. “He is being held accountable and hopefully will make strides to bring this saga to an equitable conclusion.”

The Maryland Court of Appeals disbarred Fisher after the court determined that he misappropriated funds while at Lerch, Early and Brewer, where he was a community associate attorney.

The law firm launched an internal investigation into Fisher after the firm’s chief financial officer noticed a discrepancy in checks that Fisher issued.

A native of Silver Spring, Fisher joined the Maryland State Bar Association in 1997 after graduating from Widener University School of Law. Fisher was hired by Lerch, Early and Brewer in 1998 and became a principal in 2005.

Fisher remained out on bond until his surrender to authorities on Jan. 3.